Game apparatus.



C. E. DELLENBARGER.

GAME APPARATUS. APPLICATION FH ED JUNE 29 I914.

1,282,386., Patented Oct. 22, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

C. E. DELLENBARGER.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29. l9l4.

1,282, 386 Patented Oct; 22, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- FFECEE,

cameras rumour .DELLENBARGEB, or crircaeo, rumors, ASSIGN'OR r PAUL cmrnnrna, or CHICAGO, rumors.

GAME arrnrls'rus.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES EDMOND DEL- LENBA GER, a citizen of the United States, and afresident of Chicago, in theState of 'Illin0is, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of

which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates in general to games, and more particularly to game boards employing movable figures, and has special reference to the provision of'an improved form of game board wherein certain of the figures are detachably connected thereto.

More specifically my invention relates to.

improvements in apparatus forplaying the game of baseballywherein I provide a baseboard representing-a baseball field, a series of stationary figures representing the infielders, the out-fielders, and the catcher, opfpositelydisposed pivoted figures representing the pitcher and the batsman, a plurality ofdetachable figures representing base runners, and means for conveying the figuresrepresenting base runners about the diamond which is represented on said base, said several figures and the mechanism for actuating and conveying the same being arranged and operable to; give an approximate representa tion of thegame of baseball as it-is actually played.

e The principal objects of my present invention are the provision of improved means for manipulating the figures representing base runners; the provision of improved provision of improved means for securing an abrupt partial rotation of such figures in accomplishing' such throwing and batting movements; the provision of improved means for manual manipulation of such operating means; the provision of improved means for catching the thrown or batted ball; to ther with suchfurther and additional ofigects as may hereinafter appear.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patentem Get. 22,1918,

Application filed June 29, 1914. Serial No. 847,950.

In attaining the foregoing objects and certain advantages to be below disclosed, I have. provided a construction, apreferred embodiment ofiwhich is illustratedin the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a plan view of the game baseboard with certain of the several figures used in playing the game in position therein;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, the figures of the pitcher and batter being omitted;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of part of the base-runner conveyer-mechanism showing one of thebase runner figures in position therein; I

Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively a side elevation and a perspective view of certain of the details of the construction shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is an elevational view of the figure representing the batsman illustrative of the means of pivotally supporting the same and, the means for securing the abrupt partial rotation of the figure; V

Fig. 7 is a sectional plan view with the casing removed taken on the line 77 of;

Fig. 6, illustrative of certain details of construction of the figure releasing trigger;

Fig. 8 is a sectional plan view taken on the line 88 of Fig. 6, illustrative ofthe construction of the stop whereby the rotative movementof the figure is'terminated;

Fig. 9 is a sectional plan view taken on the line 99 of Fig. ,6, illustrative of the means for varying the tension on the driving spr' g by means of which the rotary motion is imparted .to the figure;

.. Fig. 10 is a fragmentary elevational view,

partly in section, illustrative of a detail of construction of the figure releasing trigger; Figs. 11 and 12 are respectively a plan and ,an edgewiseview of a modified 'form of support employed in connection with the device of Fig. 3; and

Figs. 13 and 14 are respectively an edgewise'and a plan view of a further modified form of such support.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 1 of the drawings, it will be noted that. I

have here; shown a supporting base, 20,

which is preferably made in the form of a rectangle of sheet metal constituting the walls ofthe ball field, a bottom, 22, detachably secured thereto and a false bottom23 on which the representation of the ball field 55 pose of conveying the base runners 40 about is painted", and by which the several figures representing the players are supported.

The outline of the diamond is made by the slot 24 preferably rectangular, the function of which will hereafter appear, the usual bases being representetl'at 25, 26, 27 and the home plate at 28. The customary in-fielders and out-fielders are indicated at 29 and are bag,

I Adjacent the catcher is pivotally mounted a figure 36 provided with a representation .37, of a bat, and opposite to such figure 36 and toward the base 26 is provided a similar figure 38 provided with a cup shaped extension 39 adapted to hold a ball, the figures 36 and 38 being similar in construction, and operated in. a manner to be hereinbelow described. The figures employed as base runners are indicated at 40, and for moving thereby and 50.

' thema-bout the diamond formed by the slot 24 I employ the construction which I will now proceed to describe in connection-more particularly with Figs. 2 to 5. I

On viewing Fig. 1 it will be observed-that at the four corners-of the diamond represented by the bases 25, 26, 27 and the home plate 28 I have illustrated a plurality of sprocketsf45, 46, 47, 48, mountedon shafts having vertical axes as indicated at 49 and supported in position by the bottoms 22 and 23.

immediately below the slot 24 for a purpose shortly to be defined. On the'shaft. 51 of the sprocket 48 is mounted a pinion-52 .connected by a chain 53 to a sprocket 54 on a verticalshaft 55 which is extended through the bottom 23 and provided 'With a hand wheel 56 whereby it may be rotated and motion imparted to-the chains 53 Referring now more particularly to Figs. 3 to 5, it will be observed that for the purthe diamond I provide at equal intervals on the chain 50 vertical extensions 60 each havin a horizontal portion 61 supporting a conveyer device which compi'ises a base 62, a spindle 63 passing through said slot 24 and a head 64 having sides 65, 65, which are turned over as indicated at 66, 66, whereby the base 67 of the batsman 40, may be wedged thereinto, such base 67 preferably and mounted and'provided with a similar A continuous chain 50 passes aroundsaid sprockets and is disposed substantiallyv Referring now more particularly to Figs.

V6 to 10 wherein I have illustrated the figure representing the batsman 36 carrying a bat 37, which figure is in all respects the sameasthatj'of the pitcher 38'carrying the bell 39 (Fig. 1) save in the substitution of a bat 37 for such bell 39, it will be observed that the figure 36 here shown is integral and preferably has cast engagement with the pivoted staff 70, which I find desirable since thesefigures arepreferably made of a low grade of britannla metal and the employ- In vlewingFig. 6 it will be observed that the pivoted staff 70 passes through an open.-

ing in the false bottom 23 and through openings in the opositely disposed ends 71, 72 of a yoke 73 which may be connected by screws 74 to a plate 75 mounted on said bottom 23. The yoke 7 3' has fixed thereto by means of a screw 74 a ring 75 having a plurality of notches 76 for-engagement with one end of the helically coiled driving spring 77, the opposite end whereof bears against an arm 78 carried by said stafi 70 and is secured against rotation thereon by means of a set screw 79. For holding the figure 36 in par- -tially rotated position ready to throw or bat the ball, I employ a lever 80 pivotally mounted in an opening in the plate 7 5, such lever being provided with adetent 81 normally pressed downwardfor engagement with the arm 78 by means of a helically coiled spring 82 encircling a shaft 83 which passes through a'portion of. said lever 80 near said detent 81 and is conveniently riveted over a washer J 84 as indicated at .85, the opposite end 'of said lever 80 being rovided with a trigger detent may be released arm 86 whereby sa1 and the figure 36 rapidly restored to its usual position by the action of the spring 77.

In playing the game of baseball by the operation of the present apparatus, all of the figures representing the players 40 are w thdrawn from the conveyer heads 74 and la1d at a convenient poition' adjacent the cor-. ners ofthe diamond as shown in Fig. 1.

. The ball is placed in the cup 39 of figure 38 and the figures 38 and .36 are then given a partial turn clockwise from their position shown in Fig. 1. This in each case will tend to wind the coils ofthe helically coiled r aeaase spring 7 7 placing such spring under tension. The figures being now set for operation, the triggers 86 of the respective figures may be released simultaneously or successively, at the discretion of the players of the game. Since the edge of the yoke 7 3 acts as a stop for the lever arm 78, in the case of the pitcher the sudden stop will cause a catapulting of the ball from the cup 39, and in the case of the batter, if the operator of the trigger controlling the movement of thebatter is properly timed, the bat 37 will strike such ball in its flight. Otherwise the ball will in a number of cases fall into the bag or basket 35 of the catcher 39 Ifthe ball is struck by the bat 37 it will in certain cases fall into one of the bags 35. If the ball is not caught at the proper time b one of the bags 35 or 3 5", the player contro ling the batsman may insert one of the figures 40 into the conveyer head 7 4 adjacent the home plate and by rotating the hand wheel 56 move such figure along the diamond indicated by the slot 24 toward the several bases successively, all according to the rules of the game.

Havlng thus described my 1nvent1on and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure b Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the character described comprising, in combination, a slotted casing, a figure disposed exteriorly of said slot, conveyer means within the casing for moving said figure relatively to said slot and a support above the casing, a member attached to said support projecting through the slot. in said casing and attached to said conveyer and means for detachably connecting said figure to said support.

2. A device of the character described comprising, in combination, a slotted casing, a figure disposed exteriorly of said slot, conveyer means within the casing for movin said figure relatively to said slot, and yiel ingly resistant engaging means arranged transversely with respect to said conveyer means for detachably connecting said figure and said conveyer means.

3. A device of the character described comprising, in combination, a slotted casing, a figure disposed exteriorly of said slot, conveyer means within the casin for moving said figure relatively to said s ot, engaging means interposed between said conveyer means and said figure for preventing lateral movement of said figure, and additional engaging means for preventing longitudinal movement of said figure relative to said con veyer means.

L. A device of the character described com prising in combination with a base, a rotatable figure extending upwardly from said base provided with an extension adapted to act upon a free object, anda helical spring for rotating said figure substantially concentric with respect to the axis of rotation of said figure, a rotatable member connected to one end of the spring and a notched ring for holding said member in a plurality of different angular positions to change the tension of said spring, whereby the speed of rotation of said figure may be varied.

5. A device of the character described comprising, in combination with a base, a rotatable figure extending upwardly from said base provided with an extension adapted to act upon a free object, a helical spring concentric with the axis of said figure for ro- I tating said figure below said base, a detent projecting through and above said base for releasing said spring adapted to rotate about a horizontal pivot, and spring means for holding said detent in engaging position.

6. A device of the character described comprising, in combination with a base a rotatable figure extending pwardlyfrom said base provided with an extension adapted to act upon a free object, a helical spring for rotating said figure substantially concentric with respectto the axis of rotation of said figure, a member rotating with said figure, a stop for limiting the movement of said member, and a detent adapted to engage said member when in its retracted osition.

7. A device of the character escribed comprising, in combination with a base, a rotatable figure extending upwardly from said base provided with an extension adapted to act upon .a free object, a helical spring for rotating said figure substantially concentric 

